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Sunday, May 17, 2009

Strawberry Glacé Tart

Saturday was a day of passage and celebration in our home. It was Bob's 70th birthday. Now you don't serve just anything for an event that marks seven decades. There has to be a little pomp, a little circumstance, a meal with an air of celebration about it. We put our heads together, he and I, and came up with a feast. Bob picked the desserts. Over the next week or so I'll post them all, but I thought it would be nice to start with his first choice and the one that is still his favorite. It's an old-fashioned strawberry tart. Luscious berries are artfully, or semi-artfully, arranged in a buttery almond crust and then glazed. No custard. No whipped cream. Just naked berries clad in crimson. It's beautiful to look it and simple to do. A caution or two for those who plan to make this. It's a seasonal dessert. Make sure the berries you use are fully ripe and flavorful. It's also important to glaze the berries about two hours before you plan to serve the dessert. After a couple of hours the glaze will begin to water out and your gorgeous tart will begin to look like the portrait of Dorian Gray. I love this dessert for its simplicity and old-fashioned goodness.Strawberry Glacé TartIngredients:Sweet Pastry Dough:1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour2 tablespoons granulated sugar1/4 teaspoon salt1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut in 1/2-inch dice1 large egg yold1/8 teaspoon almond extract1-1/2 tablespoons ice cold water + additional water as needed

Directions:1) Place flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Beat egg, almond extract and water together in a small bowl. Pour into flour and pulse. Remove from bowl. Add additional water as required to make a ball. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.2) Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. On lightly floured surface roll dough into a 10-inch circle. Fit into a 9-inch tart pan with removable sides. Prick bottom and sides of crust. Line with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove foil and bake until golden, about 5 to 6 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. 3) Place 1 cup strawberries in a blender jar or bowl of a food processor. Add 2/3 cup water. Blend or process until smooth. Pour into a two cup measure. Add additional water as required to make 1-1/2 cups of mixture. Place sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Stir in berry mixture. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Cook and stir 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Add food coloring, if using. Let sit for 10 minutes without stirring.4) Spread 1/4 cup of glaze over bottom of tart shell. Arrange remainder of berries, stem side down, in pastry shell. Spoon remaining glaze over berries, making sure each berry is covered with glaze. Chill for 1 to 2 hours before serving. Yield: 8 servings.

MARY! This is undeniably the MOST gorgeous tart I have seen in blogdom recently. It is beautiful. No wonder its a favorite. I cant even imagine how delicious it must be. Cant wait to see all your other desserts.. Oh and Happy Birthday Bob!

Mary, Happy Birthday to Bob - such a distinguished looking man. The strawberry tart is very beautiful! Can hardly wait to see the rest of the dishes you are preparing. I have that very tart pan by the way - think I will make this.

That tart is gorgeous. I love the color in the picture. When I was small, my grandmother made a strawberry pie with a shortbread crust very similar to this - such a good memory. Sounds like a good reason to make it!

My Dad's 80 th is in a few days. I am catering the big shabang here. Ought to be lots of fun. I love tarts in the summer filled with fresh fruits. Nothing beats them, not even chocolate. So funny, I havent seen Dorian Gray in so many years. Most people dont know about that movie.

Mary -- Happy Birthday to Bob and what a great treat for a special day. It's a favorite of us at Linderhof as well -- but only during strawberry season. I've not tried the almond pastry, preferring a regular pastry. I think the almond would gild the lily a bit and take the dessert over the top!

I just love tarts! They seem so much fancier than pie, aren't any more trouble, and just seem so fresh and perfect for summer. My family particularly likes blueberries on a lemon cream base. Thanks for sharing.~Laura

hello...I wanted to thank you for this recipe. It's the first time EVER that I made good pastry, nice and flaky--and I'm almost 50!

However, i had a problem with the glaze, and I ws wondering if you could help me figure out what it is. My glaze was not shiny and clear like yours, but rather cloudy. I'm pretty sure I measured correctly. It didn't seem to affect the taste, but it does not look as lovely as yours.

I'm still okay with that--it tasted great. But i'd like to figure out what my mistake was so that next time, I can have a shiny tart like yours. Thanks!

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